President Barack Obama said today he will appoint an adviser to oversee the security of government and business computer networks in response to widespread attacks and information theft.

[efoods]The nation’s communications network is “the backbone that underpins a prosperous economy and a strong military,” Obama said at the White House. “Cyber space is real and so are the risks that come with it.”

Creation of the position is one of the chief recommendations of a 60-day review, completed April 17 and released today, on boosting computer security for the government and private industry.

Security analysts and lawmakers have said the need for a chief of cyber security is acute because federal and private- sector efforts to combat the breaches lack coherence. Creating the position fulfills a promise Obama made during his presidential campaign.

“To date there really has not been a centralized point of coordination for cyber security,” said Liesyl Franz, vice president of information security and global public policy at TechAmerica, a Washington-based industry lobbyist.